About 6 months later, my husband and I found out that we were going to move to the Austin area due
to a change in my husband’s job. This turned out to be such a blessing in so many ways. Being the
planner that I am, I immediately began researching OB’s in the area. I found what I was told was the
best hospital with the best doctors. Plus, it was very close to our new home. When I read the bio of the
doctor I was thinking of visiting, it read something to the effect of, “I love what I do and feel the most
at home in the operating room.” I was shocked. So much for wanting a natural birth that would be
supported by my doctor!

I continued my research and found a birth center in Georgetown. Of course, the Austin area would
have a bunch of hippy birth centers with granola midwifes. Oh how I was wrong!!! Talk about divine
intervention. By the grace of my sweet Savior, my heart was so encouraged to read the midwives bios
and the other birth mom’s stories. It was not a weird hippy place! It sounded like a peaceful mother-
supportive place that would actually support my desire for a natural birth and even help me prepare for
it. When we moved, my husband and I went to visit the birth center and met with one of the midwives
named Heather. She was so sweet and gave us a tour around the building and we sat in one of the birth
rooms and had a nice visit with her. I got out my list of questions. Heather was so patient to answer
them all and in detail. I could not believe how perfect this place was for what I dreamed my birth to be!!

Finally, I told her about my ob telling me that I was not going to be able to have over a 7 lb. baby and I
asked her what she thought. She said that was ridiculous and that my body was made to do this and to
have the baby that God had given me. She then brought in the sweet receptionist, April. She shared
with me that this tiny woman had just recently had a 9 pound baby and that if she could do it, then I
could! I was so encouraged by this.

Heather eased my mind by answering all of my questions, including, “What if something goes wrong?”
I realized how prepared they were for these situations and how well they monitor the mom and
baby throughout labor. Most of all, the Lord calmed my heart in this moment reminding me, HE was
completely in control of our lives. I knowingly trusted Him that THIS was the place for my baby’s birth!
My heart was at peace as I walked out of the center that day. I just knew that this was the comfort and
support that I had been praying for.

So it was. I had amazing visits with Heather throughout the remainder of my pregnancy. I came to
the decision that I wanted to have this baby at home where I would be the most comfortable. Heather
would bring everything she needed for the birth to my home and all I had to do was labor comfortably
with my sweet husband.

The Birthday on its way
So finally the BIG day was on its way. It was the night before Christmas Eve 2011. I was 5 days past
my due date and so ready to meet my little angel baby. I had practiced my breathing, relaxing and
visualization techniques that our hypno-birthing coach, Christina taught us over the last month of my
pregnancy which made my labor process actually comfortable and quick. She was an amazing teacher
and I highly recommend taking the class if you want to have a safe, comfortable birth. This truly made all
the difference in the world!

I felt my first real contraction at the grocery store in the cake isle where I was buying a (pink) strawberry
cake that I thought I would make while in labor for our son’s (sorry, Ashton) first birthday cake. Ha!
Yeah, right. When I felt the much-anticipated first “real” contraction I almost left my cart right then
and there and ran out to get home and get the party started. Instead, I finished shopping. When I got
home my husband and I bundled up and went for a long walk around the neighborhood since walking
is supposed to speed up the process. I was hoping the contractions were going to continue and get
stronger and that is exactly what happened. By the end of our walk they were 6 1/2 min apart. I called
Heather, my midwife, and told her what was going on. She said to try and rest as much as I could, drink
lots of water and call her whenever I needed to but especially the second I wanted her there or when
my water broke.

My husband and I went to bed but I could only lay there for about 15 minutes. I got up and felt the
most comfortable on our couch and I labored there for the rest of the night. My contractions were
consistently 5 minutes apart and I was resting in between. I think I fell asleep once for about an hour
thanks to my relaxation techniques. By 9 am, the contractions finally started getting more intense and
Heather came to check on me. My water hadn’t broken yet so I had her check me to see how far along I
was. I was 2 centimeters dilated and 50% effaced. Of course, I wanted to hear that I was further along,
but trusted that my body knew what to do and that everything was happening exactly the way it needed
to. I took a shower and spent the next few hours on the couch, sitting on my yoga ball and in front of the
fireplace. Changing position really helped things to move along.

Heather came back over at about 1pm. I was 5 centimeters and really ready for things to get moving.
Sure enough they did! By 2 pm, I could not sit still. I felt so bad that Heather was spending her
Christmas eve with us and told her to go home and spend time with her family. Then the next thing I
know I am crying because I was so tired and couldn’t find a comfortable position. Heather said “I am
staying, it won’t be much longer, now. This is what I do and my family understands.” She then tells
me to get into the bath tub and try to relax there. Oh my, was THAT heavenly!!

I felt so much betterand was able to really let go and relax my entire body. I continued breathing through my contractionsand squeezing the heck out of my husband’s hand when I needed to. He was so sweet and supportive reminding me to relax my jaw, breathe deeply, and that every contraction is bringing us closer to meeting our Ashton.

Amazingly, every contraction seemed like the ONLY ONE I had had. I cannot explain this other than my body was doing what it needed to in order to get my baby out. Also, the entire time I was in active labor I felt in control of everything that was happening to my body. It was great! My hypnobirthing training had a lot to do with this! My body transitioned quickly and seamlessly and my breathing really helped to do this comfortably.

At about 4 pm, my mom, sister and dad arrived to be here for the birth. Around this time my
contractions were about 2 minutes apart and my breathing was accompanied by some moaning when

they were at their strongest. They never got any closer than this. It was nice because I was able to
rest in between them. My sweet Dad was staying in the other room praying for us and timing my
contractions by listening to me. (Later, my older sister comes to meet Ashton and surprise me as well.
What a special surprise it was to have her there too!) My mom and younger sister came into the
bathroom and held my hand for a little bit telling me I was doing such a good job. I cannot tell you the
amount of comfort this brought me to know that my momma was there. I felt like a little girl who really
needed her mom when she came in the room. My sister is the most gentle and sweet person I know
and knowing she was there praying for me put me at ease. I asked them to take pictures for me when
he came and to stay in the room with us. They did their jobs so wonderfully!

At about 4:45pm, I felt like I needed to bear down and began the breathing needed to nudge my baby
out. This felt so good!! I couldn’t believe that this was not painful like all the birth shows made it seem
like it was. I breathed down with my contractions and relaxed to let my body do what it needed to. I
never felt the need for someone to tell me when to push or to cheer me on. I was working with my
body and my baby to get him here safely and in God’s perfect time.

Heather tells me to try and flip over on my hands and knees, as I do, I then hear a pop. It was my water
breaking. Finally! I was waiting for this for weeks. This threw things into hyper speed. By 5:25pm, he
is crowning and at 5:34pm, my sweet baby slides right on out and into the water. I catch him with my
hands and bring him up to my chest while Heather unwraps the chord from his neck. He clears his
throat, he cries for a minute and then looks at his daddy and calms down. We begin to talk to him
telling him we have waited so long for him. That we love him and that he is so perfect! I had waited for
THIS moment and it was the most amazing thing to finally see his sweet face.

We waited until his chord stopped pulsating to have his Daddy make the cut. Then, I stood up to move to the bed to deliver the placenta. I felt so good when I stood up. I felt lighter, had tons of energy and was just experiencing pure joy and a kind of love that I have never experienced before. I evensaid, “Man, I could totally do that again right now!” Ha, talk about the endorphins speaking for me! I
delivered the placenta about 20 minutes later, then began to nurse my sweet hungry baby. He latched on perfectly and began eating. The rest of the evening is spent holding my baby in my bed with my husband beside me, learning about him and loving on him.

A grateful Momma
I am just overjoyed that I actually went through the birthing process completely naturally, successfully and by myself! Of course, I had amazing support around me but I was in awe of how my body and mind just did what it needed to and what it was created to do. I kept saying, “I can’t believe I actually did it!”
I trusted, more than I ever had before, that my baby and myself were in the faithful Lord’s hands. He gave me the strength to do what I did, no doubt about it. The verse that kept going through my headduring my labor was this:

Psalm 139:13-16 (ESV)

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

So sweet to trust in a God THIS big, this loving and this good! I would not have been able to do this the
way that I did without Him.

Before he was born, I prayed for baby Ashton every day and many times during the day. I spoke to
him, sang to him and read to him while he was in my belly. I felt so connected to him throughout my
pregnancy so finally holding him in my arms was the greatest feeling of completeness. Unexplainable.
I could not believe that the Lord had blessed me with such a perfect, unique and beautiful child. At
the same time, I also felt the weight of responsibility of raising this tiny being up to love Jesus and to
know that he is unconditionally loved by our Savior. This was the beginning of an unexplainable love for
this baby that is divinely on loan to a grateful momma. One that is so grateful that she knows the Lord
personally, that she was moved to Austin in perfect timing and found the most amazing birth center and
midwives. So grateful for a comfortable and beautiful home birth and finally, for a perfect healthy baby
boy. My heart is full!

Tristan with her big sister, Karis

I want to preface Tristan’s birth, with a brief summary of my first child’s birth: Five years ago, I was
induced at 41 weeks because of high blood pressure. I had a horrible experience, at a leading hospital,
where I felt pressured into many decisions I did not want to make. I was uneducated about my options,
and uneducated about what my body could do. I was alone, young, and afraid. After 28 hours of induced
labor, and on-again off-again pitocin drips, I “failed” my trial of labor by stalling at 7cm and was given a
c-section. I hated my labor, I did not bond with my daughter for days because I was so exhausted, and
I swore I would never put myself through anything like that again. When I found out I was pregnant
this past summer, I knew without a doubt I would not go to a hospital. We found Heather at Central
Texas Birth Center in October and were in love. This would be the place and staff that would bring our
daughter into the world.

I had been preparing all week for my oldest daughter, Karis’, 5th birthday. I just knew that Tristan was
waiting till then to come, so I was a little stressed about getting everything done before the party on
Saturday morning.

On Friday afternoon (April 6) around 4:15pm, I had just finished the very last of party prepping-the
cake. I took a picture, put the lid on it, sat down and felt my first contraction. It just felt like a cramp,
but I had a gut feeling. I kept it to myself and waited. After a few more followed 5 minutes apart, I
told my husband, Billy, that I thought I was having contractions. We both smiled, but neither of us got
too excited, as we didn’t want to get our hopes up for false labor. By around 6:30, I was pretty sure
they weren’t going to stop. The cramps had been steady at 5 minutes apart, sometimes 4, but weren’t
really any stronger. We decided to have a good dinner, and get Karis bathed and ready for bed. I let my
midwife, Heather, know that I was having these “cramps” and I’d keep her posted. I had every intention
to get in bed and try to sleep through what I could, but by the time I tried to lay down around 9:30,
I knew that I was past the point of sleeping through them. I listened to my Rainbow Relaxation and
Birthing affirmations from “Hypnobirthing”. They got me through a lot of the early contractions, I was
able to zone out, breathe, and remember to trust my awesome body. I talked to Heather and let her
know they were getting stronger, we agreed we would talk again in an hour, or if there was a shift of any
kind in my progress. I also called my best friend Christin to come over, so that she would be ready to be
by my side throughout labor.

At around midnight, my contractions got much stronger; I had to focus much more to get through each
one. I let Heather know we were on our way to the birth center (an hour away). I was terrified of getting
there too soon, but I knew I did not want to go through any more contractions without her guidance.
We loaded up Karis, (who woke up and did not sleep or stop smiling until long after she got to meet
and hold her sister), and our things and headed to the birth center. Shortly after our arrival, and some
much more intense contractions, I got a high blood pressure reading. We discussed the possibility of
having to go to a hospital if it did not go down. Even though this was the last thing I wanted, I agreed
that we would do whatever was best for baby and me. I tried laboring on my left side to lower it, but I
couldn’t find a way to face the contractions in this position, I started to get scared, and started throwing
up. I don’t know if it was from the pain, or the nerves, or both, but it was horrible. They decided to start filling up the birthing pool, in hopes that would ease my pain and lower my blood pressure.

The pool brought instant relief. I can’t imagine heaven itself feeling better than that pool felt once I was
in it. It worked, not only for the pain, but also in bringing down my blood pressure. The contractions
were strong, and getting stronger, but I was able to breathe through them so much easier in the water.
I was slowly going into my own world inside of my body. I thought about riding on the contractions the
way you let your body move with waves in the ocean. I counted the breaths it took to get through each
one. Four. Each time, the second and third breaths, the peaks of the waves, got tougher and tougher
to get past. But once that fourth breath was exhaled, the pain was gone, so I focused on that. Christin,
Billy, and Heather were so great about being exactly where I needed them, and saying exactly what I
needed to hear. They kept a cool washcloth on my head, they held my hands, they rubbed my back, and
they gave me love. (The STARK contrast between this and my hospital labor is undeniable). I remember
one of them saying I was the perfect image of “Zen”; this made me feel so much better, because I
figured I looked more like something out of the exorcist.

At 3:15am, Heather checked my cervix, I was 7cm and 100% effaced. I hit a wall of fear when I heard
that number. That had been my stopping point with Karis. Labor was intense, I was working so hard, and
the first thought I had was, “I have to move. I have to do something else, because this CAN’T stop now”.
I got on my hands and knees and felt the immediate pressure of my baby coming closer to me. I didn’t
know how I could make it much longer, I told everyone “I can’t do this”, and I really meant it.

Before I knew it, I was pushing without even meaning to. My body completely had control, and was
doing exactly what I had trusted it to do. I felt the burning sensation of crowning, heard Johnny
Cash’s “Ring of Fire” in my head, and Heather telling me to touch my baby’s head in reality. I did and
that was all I needed. This power ran through me that I had no idea I had, and in less than a minute from
her crowning (even though it seemed like MUCH longer-I was sure that Heather was pushing the baby
back in as I pushed out!) I was pulling my baby girl up through the water to meet the world. Tristan Fay
was born bright eyed and alert, she looked right at me when I spoke to her. I don’t even remember the
first words I said, just the most overwhelming feeling of love and awe.

I did this.
I truly believed for those few moments that I couldn’t, that I was done for, that this feat was
impossible.
But, I did it.

This is a feeling that has changed me profoundly, and that I will never, EVER be
the same because of. I will never forget or take for granted the power of my body, and my mind again. I
want to tell every woman how strong she is, and that birth is natural! (Even after a cesarean section!)

Tristan was 6lbs 15oz, and was 19 ½ inches long. She came out breathing perfectly, alert, and content. We spent the beginning of her life cuddling, and loving her, all skin to skin contact. She felt no needle pokes, no cold hands, just warmth. We are thrilled with the way that we brought our daughter into the world, and are more thankful than words can say for the women at the birth center who helped to make
her entrance so perfect.

Wow.

The email I sent out informing friends and various acquaintances of Dameki’s birth had just that word in
the subject line. Wow. And it had the picture above. Of her, less than one hour after birth and wearing
nothing but that hat.

Two days before her birth, we went for our scheduled prenatal visit at Central Texas Birth Center that
day, and did a couple more tests just to be sure all was well with Dameki. It was 10 days beyond her due
date then. Heather was very supportive, saying it would be any minute now, and told Naa to call her
anytime she felt like coming into the birth center. Both Sandra and Heather had been great throughout
the prenatal process, guiding us without being prescriptive.

As I drifted in and out of sleep on the dawn of 2nd March, Naa told me at 3:15am that she was ready to
get to the Birth Center. I asked her if she was sure (as if I needed to ask), and if she had called Heather.
She had.

We got there at 4 am, and Heather was there, rather cheery faced for that time of morning, I thought.
But that cheery supportiveness played a part in getting Naa and I through the birthing process. Later,
after Naa was settled in her birthing suite, Heather made her some tea. Birth tea, I think she called it. It
was the first of several cups she made throughout the day.

Later, Sandra (who had been busy with another birth even earlier in the day), came by and observed
Naa as her labor progressed. She was knitting something, and whenever another contraction came, she
would note it, and continue with her knitting.

Things definitely got busier later in the day and with both Sandra and Heather on hand, Dameki arrived
at 6:18pm. It was a wild mix of emotions; tearful joy, exhaustion, gratitude to God. I got to spend almost
24 hours with her, and then I was on a plane heading back to Ghana as I was needed back at work.

A short while after I sent out that email in Ghana, I got a reply from one of my work colleagues: “Wow,
she is the cutest baby Daniel! And who made the hat? Adorable!”

Then it hit me.

Sandra had been knitting a hat for the baby the whole time she was observing Naa’s labor progress,
and had finished it in time to help with the latter stages of Naa’s labor. So that is the hat you see on
Dameki’s head. That is Central Texas Birth Center for you.

]]> http://texasbirthcenter.com/news/from-africa-and-back-again/feed/ 0 http://texasbirthcenter.com/news/the-birth-of-maggie-grace/ http://texasbirthcenter.com/news/the-birth-of-maggie-grace/#comments Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:53:12 +0000 Heather Hilton http://texasbirthcenter.com/?p=273

Maggie Grace and her mama, Molly

On Wednesday 2/8, around 7pmish I started having minor back annoyances. I had back labor with our son Grady, so I was preparing myself for the same this time. They weren’t anything time-able, or even noticeable if I wasn’t paying attention. I figured they were nothing, but hoped they were something. My husband Jason was working late and I was getting irritable. When he got home, I decided to take a bath, and was feeling kind of crampy while in the tub.

I tried to get to bed early, as I had a feeling it was “the night”. Amazingly, I was able to sleep until 2:30am, when my back annoyances started up again, so I decided to time them. I didn’t get out of bed, and they weren’t even painful, but they came and went regularly. They were about 30 seconds long and about 3 minutes apart.

I started freaking out a little bit, realizing (and hoping!) that this was probably it. I called Heather at 3am to let her know about the contractions. She had me time them for another hour and told me to call her back.  (At my 39 week appointment on 2/6, I was 80% effaced, and 3cm, and Sandra stretched me to 4cm). Over the next hour, the contractions got closer together, longer and a lot more painful. I had already woken Jason up, and we started gathering the bags. I called the friend who was going to watch Grady for us. I called Heather back at 4am, and she told us to meet her there in an hour. We left at around 4:30, and got there just before 5 (after dropping Grady off).

By this time, the contractions were really rough and all in my back. I just kept pacing the hall of the birth center while Sandra filled the birthing pool. She checked me just before I got in and I was 8-9cm. I was ecstatic! The dim lights, soft music, and flameless candles were really nice, soothing, and relaxing.

The birthing pool felt amazing. I always hear how good they feel and never understood it until I tried it. I wasn’t planning on delivering in the tub because it kind of freaked me out and I always thought it was kind of gross, but my body had other plans for me. My contractions were pretty ridiculous at this point. Hardly any breaks, and even during the short breaks I would just dread the next one.

Once I could feel her moving through the birth canal, I wanted to die. The pressure and pain were unbearable, but there was nothing I could do but work through it. Heather and Sandra were amazing and so supportive, and let me listen to what my body was telling me to do. I had heard that’s what they do, but I was worried that I would need direction. I didn’t. During the contractions, I started moaning very loud, and sometimes pushed when the pressure told me too. Moans turned into screams, which I never pictured myself doing. My throat hurt for days!

In the middle of a contraction, while I was screaming and pushing, I felt the pop and burn of my water breaking. I hated it. It ruined my concentration, and the pain got even more intense.

During the next contraction, I really gave it my all and I started feeling the ring of fire. I HAD to get her out of there because I just couldn’t take it anymore. During the next push I felt her head crowning. Heather urged me to push the rest of her through, so I did. Once she was out, it was immediate relief, and I was so happy to be just about done. She was born at 6:08am, after only about 3 hours of labor.

The cord was wrapped around Maggie’s neck twice, but they never freaked out. They stayed calm, untangled her, and put her on my chest immediately. It was a few seconds before she opened her eyes, started breathing, and then cried. We stayed in the tub for a little while before I delivered the placenta, waited for the cord to stop pulsing, and Jason cut it.

They helped me out of the tub, and I was amazed at how good I felt. They settled me into the bed and inspected my lady bits. I had a tiny little tear that they said could have taken a stitch, but I didn’t even want to bother. I had a 2nd degree tear and lots of stitches with Grady and it was annoying. (The difference in level of pain AFTER a drug free birth and my birth (with epi with Grady) is unbelievable. I remember being horribly sore and had to have painkillers immediately after the epi wore off. My lady bits were sore and I needed the painkillers for about a week. After having Maggie, I had taken some Advil for a couple days, but that was only for the uterine contractions caused by nursing Maggie.)

We all snuggled in bed, and Maggie proceeded to nurse for a good 90 minutes!

Other than feeling woozy when I stood up, I felt great pretty immediately. The midwives quietly came and went to take mine and Maggie’s vitals, to check in with us and offer us snacks. It was so nice to be in a homey environment. Jason and I sat there talking about how much nicer an experience it was over being in a hospital  (and I had what I would consider a great hospital experience). Just so much more loving, supportive, and freeing. I never felt like i was annoying, in the way or asking too many questions. Like I mentioned before, I was worried I would need more direction and for them to tell me what to do, but I just did what I did and they supported me. We left right around 11am, picked up Grady and were home and comfy just before noon. It was so strange to be back home just hours after Maggie’s arrival, but so nice. I hated being in the hospital after having Grady, the constant poking and prodding, the uncomfortable hospital bed, and all I wanted to do was go home.

I have to add – I never would have chosen to have a birth center birth if we had better insurance. The decision to look into this option was because our health insurance did not have maternity coverage, and we would be responsible for everything out of pocket, and we all know how expensive hospital births can be. I have seen specials on home births and assisted births in birthing centers without doctors, and thought it was crazy and risky. After the first few appointments with the midwives and getting to know them, I was grateful to have had to make such a decision. I was completely comfortable with them from the beginning and made me feel so at ease.

Maggie is now 3 weeks old and such a love! It took Grady a couple days to want to have anything to do with her, but he adores her now and always wants to hug, kiss, and love on her!

Grady learning to play with his new little sister.

Ephraim Asher

Read about this sacred, special homebirth, as told by the strong, patient mama…

Ephraim- Fruitful, double blessing/portion/inheritance (The Gentile line of Israel, son of Joseph)Gen 48:13-20

Asher- Happy, blessed, fortunate (One of the 12 tribes of Israel, son of Jacob/Israel) Deu.33:24-29 “Asher is most blessed of sons, let him be favored by his brothers, and let him dip his foot in oil…”

I had been in early labor off and on for a couple of days. I wasn’t sleeping well at all due to this, and I also felt myself coming down with a sinus infection or something. I was getting really irritable and very exhausted. In hindsight I should have known I was going to have him on the 24th because the contractions had been painful and consistent, just not regular. I was also beyond hormonal. I texted my midwife that evening and she said it sounded like a positioning problem, especially since most of the pain was felt on one side, and that’s the side he was lying on.

So she gave me some tips to try and that did relieve a lot of the pain with the contractions.

I went to bed around 1am or so but couldn’t sleep. So I got up and got on the computer. I noticed the contractions start becoming regular at about 10 minutes apart around 2am. I decided to go try and get some rest in case it was going to be a long night. Of course I didn’t sleep. The contractions started getting closer together…about 4-7 minutes apart. So I woke up Michael and asked him to blow up the birth pool because it was time. I called my midwife and she and her assistant were on their way! This was around 4am.

I put on the “dress” I had wanted to wear during labor, and then went to the kitchen to heat up my labor infusion tea I’d made and frozen ahead of time. Michael was blowing up the pool in the garage and I noticed he had turned on Kenny G music..which I thought was funny. Contractions started to intensify and were coming every 3-5 minutes. I took my tea with me and knelt on the ground over the living room chair. One of my favorite positions during labor. Michael brought the pool in and started filling it up. Soon it was getting harder to get through contractions silently. I had been closing my eyes and breathing through them up to this point. So I moved to the couch and sat back while propping my legs up on the side of the birth pool. This helped my pelvis to open up more and I could feel a bit of fluid leaking with each contraction. I could also start feeling his head descend a little bit. I told Michael I hoped the midwives got here in time! I was gently moaning through a contraction when Heather walked in. She said I was doing a great job. I don’t know what time it was but it was between 5-5:30 I believe.

She checked the baby’s heartbeat and my vitals. All was well, but the contractions were getting pretty hard. So I climbed into the birth tub.

This was my first time ever using one, and it’s true what they say…it is nature’s epidural! No, it didn’t take all the pain away, but it was very relaxing and soothing. Heather’s assistant, Sandra, showed up. She checked baby’s heart rate while I was in the pool.

I was starting to have to make louder moaning noises, but was still surprisingly controlled and relaxed. I felt like I might need to push so I started grunting a bit with contractions which felt nice and helped to bring him down. My midwife is very hands off and won’t “check” you for dilation unless you ask. So I never knew how dilated I was and I was glad for that. I just pushed when it felt right. I alternated between squatting, lying back and “floating” and leaning forward.

Soon though it became very intense and I was frustrated that my efforts in bringing him down were taking so long. I was saying things like “Why isn’t he coming?” and “Why is it taking so long?” Things were getting really hard and I saw my 5 year old wander out into the living room. lol I was glad that I had told him that night if he were to wake up and hear mommy making noises etc. that it was normal and just meant the baby was coming. Michael didn’t see Brighton come out and that I was “losing my mind” in transition. lol

My midwives had me stand up in the pool. I was in a LOT of pain at this point. I was leaning on Michael with contractions and then at some point my midwife as well. I was starting to “lose it” a little bit. At this point all the kids woke up and Michael ran back and told them to play because mommy was having the baby and needed daddy right now. I continued to lean (aka hold onto for dear life) on people.

I was pushing which I could tell was really bringing him down, but not enough for my liking. I was becoming desperate and was telling my midwife I wanted an epidural, asking her if she could help, and just generally whining like a baby saying I couldn’t do it. ((Of course rationally, when a woman gets to the “I can’t do it stage” it means it’s super close. However, when you’re in that much pain it doesn’t matter)) I pushed and my bloody show fell into the pool. With the next contraction there was a loud splash and I saw my membranes (bag of waters) sitting at the bottom of the pool. Cool!

I was so DONE at this point. They suggested I walk to the bedroom and try lying on the bed. It was hard to walk there! Once on the bed, I decided I was just going to push as much as I could to get him out!!!! I was bearing down even between contractions because it felt better than not doing so and I could really feel his head coming down. I started to feel the burning and stretching and at that point REALLY wanted his head out. My midwives told me to slow down and breathe him out so I didn’t tear or cause him bruising, which I tried for a bit, but couldn’t keep doing. Finally his head was out! I just wanted to keep pushing. We were working on the shoulders and all of a sudden my midwives told me to get on my hands and knees (I knew this meant his shoulder was stuck. I’d had the same thing happen at my hospital birth in 2006, but they did not have me change positions. Wish they had.) They were telling me I needed to push him out now!!! I pushed and pushed as hard as I could, and I could feel them trying to help maneuever his shoulders out which was very painful and I was saying “ow ow ow!” Once the shoulders got through he slipped right out.

Ephraim Asher was born at 8:20am.

He was breathing but very quiet. We all rubbed him and talked to him to try and stimulate a cry or something else. It took a minute but he pinked up and was fine. When he came out he pooped everywhere. Obviously distress from the shoulder sticking moment. Michael and Sandra worked on wiping him down etc. and I wanted Heather to check my bleeding, I had hemorrhaged mildly with my last two births (one for dr. interference and the other due to partially detached placenta…so not necessarily repeatable but I was worried none the less) and I wanted to make sure it wasn’t happening again. She said my bleeding was normal and actually quite minimal. So I held Ephraim and we waited for the cord to be finished, then Michael cut it. The placenta was taking a bit to come and I took some Angelica to help it release. We also wound up doing one shot of pit…not because I needed it but because of my past 2 experiences and she knew it was a concern for me. I was fine with that. Anyway, placenta eventually came which she remarked was quite large.

I had some complications after the delivery. All of a sudden I felt clammy, weak, dizzy and just “not right.” She took my blood pressure it was a low. They gave me some oxygen which really helped. Later, she wanted me to try and use the bathroom so she cold make sure that I could get up on my own before she left me here. Both times I tried I wound up almost passing out and needing oxygen. So she wound up staying with me (Sandra left shortly after the birth) until after 8pm when I was finally able to go without needing the oxygen. It was still hard and I had to come lay right back down though. She had been giving me lots of water, eating nourishing foods, giving me iron and chlorophyll and my BP went back up to normal which really helped a lot. A combination of anemia (I quit taking my iron for a while, stupid move), exhaustion (not sleeping for a few days), dehydration and a lot of hard labor work. I also have that sinus infection so my body is trying to fight that off too.

I am feeling SO much better now! Mostly it’s the sinus infection. Ugh. It’s just going to take some time. My muscles are also REALLY sore from the instense pushing I did for so long. So I am just nourishing myself and Michael is taking care of everything else. However, I am SOOO pleased that there were no bleeding issues, my uterus did exactly what it was supposed to do, and (as usual) there were no tears or anything. As far as everything goes in the “birthing area” I feel great.

Newly nursing and the after pains are uncomfortable, but you all know it’s just par for the course.

Ephraim is the sweetest baby ever! We are all so in love with him and happy to have him here with us.

Weighing sweet Ephraim

He was 7lbs 8oz and 20.5in long. We did give him the Vit K shot because of the hard birth, and some bruising on his face.

I had told her ahead of time that we would only give it if SHE felt it was necessary. The only other thing we’ll be doing is the PKU test when she comes back for a visit this week.

((The other boys have held him too, but I have not been taking pics and no one snapped any shots of them))

All in all I am very pleased with my birth. Yes, it hurt, but it was birth! I have tight ligaments (good for pelvic health but not so much for pushing) and pushing is always very long and exhausting for me. Epidurals make this even longer and require interventions, so by forgoing drugs I make my labor shorter and safer.

It was in our home, just us, the kids woke up in time to see him once we were settled. I was able to give birth the way I wanted to and do what felt good to me instead of being strapped to a bed and on my back. I didn’t have to be poked with iv’s and blood draws every hour. It is such an amazing thing to experience birth the way God intended. Families together, comforting the mother. We’ve also been blessed to receive 2 weeks worth of home cooked frozen meals from our fellowship. Something I’ve never experienced with any of my other births.

Monday (the 8th day after his birth) we will take the long drive (8 hours altogether) to take Ephraim for his Brit Milah (or Brit Pirah). We received a beautiful book from a friend of ours that includes a couple of certificates for this very event.

YHWH has blessed us once again.

Landan Cade, born January 9, 2012

On January 2nd, I had my regularly scheduled appointment with Heather and was excited to hear her say, “Your dilated to almost 5 centimeters!”.  I felt really excited and expected to go into labor later that day.  Heather did say that it could be later in the day or it could be next week.

Since we live in Waco, my husband and I decided to stay in the area close to the birth center.  So we took our 5 yr old son and went to Austin’s Park to stay and play for the rest of the day, hoping for a birth before we went back to Waco.  Around 5pm I left the park to go back to the birth center for one more check before Heather left for the day.  She said there was no change, so I decided to relax about everything.  We left Georgetown around 9pm and got home late that night.

The next few days were as uncomfortable as the previous week due to Landan’s position in my uterus, and especially his head pushing my bladder in a way that made it almost impossible to urinate like a normal woman.  I was so ready to meet my baby and just as ready to pee again in a normal upright position!  Ha! Ha!

Still no birth, but the following Monday (Jan. 9th) all was as usual until around 8pm.  I noticed a few spots of blood when I urinated.  I told my husband, and he suggested I call Heather to let her know.  I really wasn’t too concerned about it but called Heather just the same.  She told me to call again if I started having ANY contractions or back pain that was more constant.  I think it was around 8:30 when I called Heather again to report some back pain with contractions that seemed close together.  She told me to head to the birth center, but to be very careful since it was a very cold and rainy night.

I started putting out food and water for my little dogs, grabbing my video camera, batteries, dressing our son in warm clothes and trying to keep a very calm head so as not to forget anything.  Meanwhile, my husband was panicking and telling me, “Hurry up Babe, we need to go now.”  Our 5 yr old son was so excited to finally be going to have the baby.  I think he was started to believe that I had just gotten extra fat and wasn’t REALLY gonna have this little brother I had promised him.

We were on the interstate (I was driving like the control freak I am) when my husband forced me to pull over and let him drive.  My contractions were hard and heavy, and I knew it would be easier if I could lean back and brace myself on something to get through them.  So I pulled over to let him drive, and at this point it’s about 9:27 pm, and we’re still in Waco.  Thank goodness there was not much traffic that night.  We ended up in Georgetown about 10:27 pm, and I remember the feeling of extreme thirst.

I told my husband to stop at the Wal-Mart for orange juice and a gallon jug of water.  I didn’t think it was a big deal since we were only about 5 minutes from the birth center.  He went in and came out with the WRONG orange juice.  He knows I will only drink Florida’s Natural (the original, no pulp).  I screamed out,”I knew I should’ve gotten it myself!”  I look back now and laugh like crazy over myself and my husband and the fact that our son was sleeping in the back seat like all was peaceful in paradise.

Upon arriving at the birth center, there’s sweet Heather and sweet Sandra out in the rain to take us in.  The moment my husband turns off the mini van, I feel and hear the most amazing thing…a great pressure released from my vagina and huge SWOOSH!  My water had just gushed out of me.  I had been sitting on a folded towel which I immediately picked up and got out quickly to go to the back of the van where I was unloading the baby’s things, again like a crazy woman with time on her hands.  There was no time AT ALL.

They lovingly hurried me in, and I can still hear Heather saying to me…”Tamra, put down those things and we’ll bring them in, unless you want to have your baby here in the parking lot in the rain.”

I can still feel the warmth of the water as I climbed in to the birthing tub.  They could see his dark hair as I sat down.  I felt like they helped me and strengthened me with each breath and push until I held him up against my chest.  I have never experienced anything so beautiful, gentle, or peaceful as the birth of this sweet, angelic child.  I will be 45 years old in March and can say to anyone that I would do this again a thousand times over.  And it would have to be with Heather and Sandra by my side.  We are grateful to God for the gift of another child, and we are also thankful for his guidance and direction in helping us to make the best possible decision for our family and for Landan’s birth experience.

Happy Family with baby Urijah

Urijah’s birth story is so unique.  His mama tells it perfectly…

Today has been exactly one week since Urijah was born.  I don’t know where the time has gone!  However, this story starts quite a few days before last Thursday, when my water unexpectedly broke during my 36^th week of pregnancy.  It was early Sunday morning, October 9^th, at about 2 am, when I felt a small gush and thought that I had to go to the bathroom.  A minute later I felt another small gush and got myself up and to the bathroom.  Immediately I started thinking “no, no, no, it’s too early”, but at that point it was out of my hands.  My water had indeed broken, so I woke up Scott to tell him, but we went back to sleep since nothing else seemed to be happening.

I called Heather the next morning and told her what was going on, but that I wasn’t having any contractions yet.  We decided to wait and see what happened.  Little did we know that “Wait and see” would turn out to be the mantra that we would repeat to ourselves for the 5 days until Urijah decided to make his appearance.

On Tuesday morning, I felt my first identifiable contractions.  They were sporadic and not very strong, so we went to the birth center for a check in and to come up with a plan.  We all agreed that we were willing to maintain the wait and see approach – we didn’t feel there was any need to go to the hospital even though the hours were ticking away since my water had broken.  The baby sounded good and I felt good, so we wanted to give him as much time on the inside as possible.  Since the risk of infection was a possibility after my water broke, the midwives couldn’t check me to see if I was progressing, so we did a swab to verify that my water broke.  The first swab I did at the center was negative so we thought I was mistaken and it was a false alarm, but a second swab a little while later once we were back at home showed that my water had indeed broken with no question.  User error on the first try?  We’ll never know!

We essentially continued this pattern for the next 2 days…I would have sporadic contractions that would really pick up in the evening and nighttime, and all but completely stop during the day.  They were easy to breathe through, so that’s what I did.  I was running on very little sleep, and on Thursday morning after another sleepless night of stronger contractions that were coming regularly, I called Heather and said I needed to come in.  I was tired and starting to feel anxious and she agreed it might be time to head in, so we did.  We got settled into the room and tried to get some rest.  The contractions came and went and Scott and I managed to get a bit of sleep on and off.  Heather continued to monitor the baby and me throughout, and we were fine.  Then the contractions stopped…again!  Around 2:00pm, we decided to head home, although we were hopeful enough that we left our stuff in the room.  I wanted to have that baby!  I couldn’t handle any more waiting around.  As it turned out, I didn’t really have to.

I napped at home for 2 hours and woke myself up around 5pm moaning through some pretty strong contractions.  I leaned by the side of the bed for a few of them, but had to go downstairs to get Scott to help me though them, as they were starting to come fast and hard.  These contractions felt absolutely different than any I had felt so far.  At 6:00, I was shivering and knew this was it – I called Heather and told her what was going on, and she said she would call Sandra and meet us at the birth center.  Scott was concerned that I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast and I would need some energy for what was to come, so we loaded up and got into the car, thinking we would swing by Subway to get some food just in case I would manage to eat.  Ha.  It was quickly evident that was not going to happen – I was feeling the urge to push while we were about halfway there!  We got the birth center and I’m sure I made quite an impression on the Hypnobirthing class that was sitting in the family room waiting for their class to start, as Scott helped me back to our room.

Heather and Sandra did some quick assessments and they could tell – this was it.  They starting filling up the birthing pool and I leaned over the birthing ball that was on the bed, as the contractions came.  I told Heather and Sandra that I needed to push, and they assured me I could go ahead!  Scott stood behind me and applied counter-pressure to my lower back during each contraction, which helped so much.  At this point, I started to feel scared – this was unlike anything I had felt before, and I could feel the panic starting to take over.  I think I started to make high pitched noises during the contractions and Heather reminded me to make deep, low noises and Scott reminded me to relax my jaw and even those two small things made such a difference.  It gave me a sense of control over what was going on, even though my body was really in control – I just had to go along and let it do what it knew was best.

When the pool was full, Scott and I both got in the water and it was THE best feeling ever.  The water was so warm and so soothing and immediately helped me to relax.  I changed positions in the water several times trying to find which one felt the best and while I stayed on my knees for a time, I figured out pretty soon that my legs were too tired to maintain that.

Finally, Scott and I settled into a position with him behind me and me reclining between his legs, which was so wonderful as he could keep whispering in my ear to relax and telling me how great I was doing.  Heather and Sandra monitored the baby’s heart rate as contractions came and went and I began to calm down and just concentrate on the moment and relax as much as possible – I didn’t have any space in my mind to spare anticipating the next contraction.  Heather knew just what to say during and after each surge – she told me when to push more and longer, she told me how fantastic each push was and what good progress I was making each time, and when I was making nervous comments about the pain, she reminded me that yes, it does hurt, but that it’s not bad and that I didn’t need to be scared of it…I respond really well to positive reinforcement, so this was just what I needed to hear.

I pushed from about 7:00pm-10:52pm when Urijah came into the world.  He made his appearance with the cord wrapped around his neck and his little hand up next to his cheek, and I caught a glimpse of his face under the water when only his head was out and all I wanted was for the rest of him to come OUT! Heather unwrapped the cord and maneuvered his arm and the next thing I was aware of was there was a baby on my chest and Heather and Sandra telling Scott and I to talk to him while they rubbed him with a towel and worked on getting him to announce himself.

What a feeling!  I said to Scott, “Can you believe this!?”  Scott didn’t say much at the time, but later he told me he was overcome with emotion, and wasn’t able to speak without losing it totally.  We enjoyed a few minutes in the birth pool snuggled together, but since Urijah was so small, we needed to be concerned about his temperature, so we all moved to the bed to get to know each other and get him warmed up on my chest, and for me to deliver the placenta which seriously, felt so good!  Scott cut the cord once it was done pulsing, and after a while, Heather stitched me up and we worked on some breastfeeding with Sandra’s help, and then Baby U got the full once-over and we learned that our baby boy was 5 lbs 15 ounces and 20.5 inches long!

I am so proud of my birthing experience and what I was able to accomplish.  This being my first baby, I obviously didn’t know what to expect pain-wise.  I must say, even during the contractions, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I knew I could handle it.  They were manageable and even though I was so tired, my body kicked in during each surge and it felt like a rocket boost of energy that made each push so much more effective.  I have such a respect for my body and what it was able to do….near the end of the pushing my contractions had really slowed down, and I was able to relax so much between them that Scott told me I fell asleep several times!  Who would have thought?!

The whole long labor was not anything like I anticipated, and definitely lasted a lot longer than I would have chosen, but I believe that my body knew just what it was doing and Urijah got 5 extra days in utero because we were patient and willing to trust my body and our midwives.  Heather and Sandra both took excellent care of us, and I could not have asked for more supportive and intuitive caregivers during the entire process.  We never felt rushed or pressured, and they were absolutely patient and calm during all of the waiting – always encouraging us and reassuring us.  The delivery was just what we had hoped for – calm and peaceful and intimate and Scott and I will forever be grateful that they were there to guide us and share in the birth of our baby.

Baby Miles with Mommy, Daddy, Big Brother Peyton, and doula Gena

This is the birth story of Miles Bristow, but I need to start this story in the year 2007.  I had my first son, Peyton, via emergency c-section on May 7, 2007.  He was 8lb, 10oz, and they told me he was too big which is why I wasn’t able to deliver him vaginally.  It was a pretty traumatic experience, yet I completely blacked it out after the first time I held him.  He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and everything else before holding him no longer mattered to me! 
  
  Fast forward to February 2011:
   My husband and I found out we were expecting our second child!  We hired a doctor, started seeing him once a month, and started talking about our birth plan.  From the beginning, I knew I wanted to try for a VBAC.  My doctor led on that this would be a possibility, as long as I didn’t gain too much weight and stayed healthy.  Sometime in May I watched a documentary called “The Business of Being Born” which completely opened my eyes to things I had never even thought of or considered before with the birth of my baby.  It taught me to ask questions and research more so that I could try and have the birth I wanted for my baby and me.  The closer it got to my due date, the more anxious I became about labor and delivery.  I started having flashbacks from Peyton’s delivery, and it kept me from sleeping at night.  I had forgotten how traumatic it was for me until I realized I was about to have to go through it all over again!  I began talking to my doctor about my concerns, researching ways to help my labor be a beautiful experience, and asking people questions.  Slowly, I started realizing my doctor did not believe in me, and he felt his 8 years of medical school should be enough for me to shut my mouth and just be happy that he is even letting me try for a VBAC.   At 36 weeks pregnant I ended up firing my doctor, hiring a doula, and hiring a midwife!  It was all very sudden and a drastic change that shocked my family, but I knew I was making the right decision.  Looking back, I am so proud of myself for listening to my heart and trusting myself to make the changes I did.

Mommy totally focused with Daddy's support

Focused and strong

We got to Central Texas Birth Center a little after 3pm where Heather checked me and found that I was at 5 cm with an extremely soft cervix!!  We went back home for a few hours where I continued to experience contractions, but they were never more than a minute and always pretty inconsistent.  I kept thinking, “this can’t be it”!  Suddenly out of nowhere I started crying!  I have no idea where it came from, but I couldn’t stop.  I called Heather explaining that I didn’t think I was far enough along, but I wanted to come in anyway.  She agreed it was a good decision and off we went!  

Mom receiving support from Daddy and midwives

After my good cry, I became very calm and collected.  Without even trying, I was suddenly extremely focused on listening to my body and letting it do the work it needed to do.  Heather checked me again when we arrived, and I was shocked to find out I was at 9-1/2 cm!!  I felt like such a strong momma!  I ended up sitting on the toilet for over an hour, just sitting, because it felt very comfortable to me.  Strange, I know, but it was very comfortable at the time.  Then someone suggested moving to the pool that I had had Heather fill up.  The warm water was SOOOO nice, and it helped a lot with the pressure and intensity.  I continued with contractions for another hour or so, feeling so comfortable and loved and supported by all the people in the room. 
   Suddenly, the urges to push started!  I never experienced this with Peyton, so I was a bit shocked with the feeling.  Heather, Sandra, Gena and my husband kept helping me relax my jaw, relax my body in between urges, and trust my body. 

Cool Washcloths for Mom

I can not express enough how much the love and support in that room kept me grounded and positive and strong!  My husband, Brian, was amazing and seemed to say all the right things at the right time to keep my mind focused.  Towards the very end, I kept picturing catching baby Miles in my hands and pulling him up to my chest.  Just seeing it in my mind was exciting enough, so it kept me giddy and energized at the end of labor.  I pushed for about 45 minutes total before bringing my beautiful baby boy onto my chest and seeing him for the first time! 

Welcoming Miles!

He was so peaceful and calm, and I was such a proud momma!  It was more beautiful of an experience than I could have ever imagined it to be!
 
   Miles R. Bristow was born at 10:54pm on October 6, 2011.  He was 8lb, 8oz and 21″ long.  After a few minutes in the pool, we moved to the bed to help him warm up a bit.  I wanted to feed him first, which the midwives completely supported, and he ate for a good 30 minutes.  Miles, my husband and I were able to relax together on the bed for a while, getting to know each other, before he was examined by the midwives.  Heather and Sandra are very respectful of what you want to do after the baby is born.  My husband and I never felt rushed or unsupported, and it was greatly appreciated.  We left feeling extremely happy about the entire experience, and we are very grateful to have found such a supportive group of people 4 weeks away from my due date. 

Proud Momma!

  Sidenote:  Miles was only 2oz less in weight than Peyton was at birth.  I firmly believe I could have delivered Peyton the same way, but there was a lack of trust in myself and some mismanagement done by the hospital staff that kept it from happening.  I feel that every woman can do this as long as they hire supportive people and have supportive family / friends around them.  Most importantly, I feel the woman needs to believe in herself.  It was a struggle for me at first, considering I felt like I had failed with Peyton, so I’m not saying it is always easy.  Ladies, we are built for this, and we are strong!  It was such a magical experience, and I feel so blessed and powerful after trusting myself and my body.

Birth of Noah at Central Texas Birth Center

Our sweet April (the afternoon receptionist) gave birth to her son, Noah Clary, on August 15th.  Noah’s birth was the third in three days at the birth center!  April did a beautiful job.  What a strong, patient mama!  We look forward to having her back, with Noah in tow, later in the Fall.

April’s Birth Story, in her own words:
It was Sunday august 14. I had just gotten up from my second nap that day. It had been a long night the night before with yet another round of false labor. I had even decided to go the birth center for this one! I felt so defeated coming home Sunday morning. I was never going to have this baby. My due date was August 18 but like most I was just over it. So back to Sunday evening. What woke me up was my mom calling to see if I wanted anything from Pappasitos. So I decided to order some fish and rice. She asked me if it was raining here and I annoyingly said no. What was she talking about? It hadn’t rained nearly all of our hottest summer in Texas history. I hung up and stared out the window in my room for a bit trying to wake up. And then…it started to rain! Actually it poured. Crazy! So my mom wasn’t going to be back for a while and I was starving so I decided to eat half a tuna sandwich and some fruit while I waited. By the time she got home, I felt a bit off and couldn’t eat my dinner. I was nauseous and felt uncomfortable. I thought to myself, “Great. Food poising. Who left the tuna out and put it back in the fridge?” I finally felt like eating a couple of hours later. Mom surprised me with chocolate cake and ice cream as well so I had to have that of course! Contractions started up shortly after. Those crampy but pretty much painless ones. They were every 5 min but that had been the case for weeks. So I took a warm bath and by1:00am was asleep. At 2:00am I woke up with what was the start of real labor contractions. Finally! I timed and worked through them making sure it was the real thing. They were getting stronger and I ended up using a rolling pin on my back to get through each one. Finally I decided to call my midwife Heather at about 3am. She heard the sound in my voice and said “sounds like you’re in labor!” She said she’d shower and meet me at the birth center in about 40. I was really uncomfortable so I decided to go to the birth center to wait on her there. (It’s very convenient to work at a birth center and be able to hold a key for anytime access!) I woke up my mom and she drove me over there. From the time I arrived at the birth center until I gave birth, things got a bit blurry so I will try my best to recall the details. There was a time where I could no longer wear clothes and moved around naked, a time I threw up(I really regretted eating all that fish), and a time I was singing a Real Housewives of New Jersey song in the birth pool. I was just so focused on what my body was doing and reacting to what it needed. I definitely needed to get out of my dress that I decided to wear there. I thought it would be comfortable but I felt so constricted. I changed into a light night gown and tried walking up and down the hall way to sitting on the birth ball to just swaying with each contraction. Nothing seemed to help more than just closing my eyes and letting it happen. Back labor is certainly a challenge! Heather, my savior midwife, arrived soon after I got there. My friend Amy arrived shortly after Heather. She checked my vitals. She asked if I wanted to be checked as far as dilation. I had been asking her to check me every week for a few weeks and pretty much every day the past week. Yeah, I was totally excited and anxious to go into labor. But this time, I didn’t want anyone touching me for any reason really so I declined. I think that’s when she knew I was for sure in labor. Contractions kept coming on stronger and more frequently. It was suggested that I get in the shower so I did, for a pretty long time it seemed. The hot water hitting my back felt so good during contractions. At this point I wanted to be alone. I felt claustrophobic with people around so I kicked Amy out. She had great patience with me! Sabrina came in at some point which was a great relief. I totally felt like crawling out of my skin now and didn’t know what to do to help myself get through all of this. Her and Heather filled up the birth pool for me and I immediately got in. It was so big I felt like I was in my own little world. Sabrina sat in front of me and held my hands through it all. I was exhausted and a bit whiney about wanting it to be over. Amy got in the pool to help support me and to apply pressure to my back. Heather checked me finally and I was dilated to 7cm now. I was so happy to hear that. Things seemed to be moving along quickly but I had no idea how long it had actually been. But I soon felt pushy. I was never checked again. I was simply told to listen to my body and to respond accordingly. I liked this pushy part. Contractions became less and less painful. I suddenly only felt the urge to poop and gave fair warning to Amy that I was going to do so on her. It’s great to have a friend who doesn’t mind this in such a moment. While pushing, I continually felt to see where the baby’s head was. Once I reached down I felt that my bag of waters had emerged. I thought it had broken a bit earlier in the pool so this totally freaked me out. I demanded that someone tell me what the hell it was which Heather did. I then asked Sabrina to take a picture. Noahs head soon came and when it did, I tried focusing on not rushing this part. I felt the “ring of fire” but it wasn’t painful like I had imagined. I again asked for a picture to be take once his head was out. Pushing after this was hard. I was totally exhausted and I needed a break. Sabrina brought this awesome contraption to help with exactly this. It’s hard to explain but I held onto one end and she held onto the other and I pulled and pushed with all my strength. Heather suddenly told me to stand up and to do it now. All of sudden I was standing, thank God for Amy, and continued to do my pushing this way. I never felt that relief of Noah’s little body slipping out once his head and shoulders were out. Maybe it was because he wasn’t so little! Inch by inch he came and Heather caught him beautifully. After helping him with his first little breath I sat back down in the pool and was handed my beautiful baby boy. I didn’t cry, I don’t even think I smiled much(that came shortly after of course). I was just in total shock as to what had just happened. I mean I knew I had a baby inside my belly for almost 10 months but now he was in my arms. A real baby! A healthy and beautiful baby with a great set of lungs I must say. We moved to the bed after having our beautiful moment together and began to do all that lovely after birth stuff. I birthed my placenta shortly after. Cord clamping was delayed until pulsing was complete. I cut the umbilical cord which I never thought about doing but was glad I got to. Sabrina made me a placenta smoothy as requested (I know…sounds horrible but it was really good. And good for me!) I had a small tear too small to stitch and some more than slight bleeding but I was ok. Noah and I began our breastfeeding relationship which went well. My mom and sister had come in by this point and we all shared the joy of this new life. I had everyone there that I wanted there. It was perfect. Noah weighed 8lbs 14 oz and was 20in long. What a surprise it was for little ol’ me to have such a big baby! I never thought for a second that I couldn’t do it, even when I whined with doubt. All I needed was assurance and encouragement and that’s exactly what I got. I’m totally and completely happy with my birth. I wouldn’t change a single thing. I labored in a place where I could walk freely and demand space and darkness as needed. I was gently given herbs during and after, had cool towels applied to my face, massages to get me through contractions and all the lovely words one needs to get through the hardest work you’ll ever experience in your life. I could be completely vulnerable, which I was, and not get taken advantage of. I didnt have the temptation of close by pain killing drugs or anyone telling me to give in to interventions. What I did have was three amazing women simply telling me I could do it. And that I was doing it, beautifully and with grace. A great friend held my hand for hours, another literally held me up when I couldn’t do it myself, and another caught the love my life and gave him his firth breath. I like to refer to them as my birth goddesses. The energy surrounding my birth is something that cannot be described. As I lay here with almost two week old Noah asleep on my chest, I cry with joy on how he got to be here in my arms. I’ll never forget the day he came or the hours spent getting him earth side.